Bye-bye to Bafana Bafana?

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Johannesburg - Their name became a global catchphrase, thanks to the FIFA World Cup, but Bafana Bafana may be a thing of the past, according to a report in The Citizen.

This comes after SA Football Association (SAFA) bosses were told by parliamentary sports portfolio committee chairperson Butana Komphela that the national soccer team’s name might be changed.

The outspoken Komphela, who in the past also threatened to rename the Springboks, told SAFA leaders on Tuesday to either resolve the controversy surrounding the Bafana Bafana trademark ownership or do away with the name completely.

It is understood that the issue is being discussed by top Safa management, but attempts to obtain clarity on the subject were fruitless.

Businessman Stanton Woodrush has already won two court cases to retain the name Bafana Bafana for his clothing range. Woodrush was the first to apply for the registration of the name as a trademark.

In 1994, the then sponsor of the national soccer team, Kappa Holdings Ltd, filed applications for the trade marks Bafana and Bafana Bafana.

In 1997, Safa embarked on an extensive legal challenge with respect to the name Bafana Bafana for virtually all goods and service.

However, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed a claim by Safa that it owned the trademark Bafana Bafana in relation to the clothing range.

Komphela is against what he called “a businessman being allowed to exploit the name commercially” at the expense of the national team.

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